Back to the Past
by Jennifer Wilson
Summary: Something I thought of before Christmas. What if Holmes and Lestrade go back to the 21st century and sees Watson?
1. Back to the Past

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sherlock Holmes, Beth Lestrade and other characters belong to DIC. Dr. Watson belongs to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Shirley Henderson and other characters that you have not seen before belong to me.

**Me:** Hello! This is going to be a Christmas Present to the people reading this fan fiction. Many thanks to my sister and father who said that I could not write abnormal compositions during holiday time. If not, I would not have defied them…

**Alice: ** Just get on with the story please.

**Me: **Shut up! Don't mind her; she is upset because she is not in this story…

**Alice: **Because my initials are not S.H.

**Me:** Will you please stop interrupting me! Okay, here is the story.

It was late at night. Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Beth Lestrade were chasing Professor Moriarty down the sewers of New London. Finally, they ended in an underground chamber. "So, you have me cornered. Well, I say you have not!" Moriarty shouted at them. Suddenly, there was a loud flash and Holmes and Lestrade disappeared without a trace.

A couple of universes away…

Shirley Henderson sat thinking in her study. Her friend, Dr. John H. Watson sat next to her. "Well, Shirley, what are you thinking of?" He asked. "I was wondering what would happen to Mr. Holmes. I have the Professor's machine, but we could not use it as Mr. Holmes is currently _locked_ up in Scotland Yard." She answered thoughtfully. Then there was a loud thud and two persons landed in the small apartment. "What in the world…" Shirley exclaimed when she caught sight of Dr. Watson's face. It was deadly white. "This is Holmes." He croaked as he flipped over one of the persons in the room. "But in your stories…"She began when Dr. Watson cut her off. He explained that due to protecting his friend's identity, he had to change the appearance of Holmes in the stories. When he was describing Holmes he was really describing the illustrator's elder brother. Dr. Watson then felt their pulses. "They are still alive, but I think that they should get a rest. Shirley nodded and placed the woman and Holmes onto beds in a spare bedroom. "So, what are you going to do with Mr. Holmes?" She asked. "I think we should leave some clothes at their disposal. Dr. Watson, I think you should lend Mr. Holmes some of your clothes and I shall lend the lady some of mine." Shirley said. Dr. Watson nodded and they both went to bed, for it was ten o'clock.


	2. Meeting Shirley and Watson

The next day, Holmes woke up to find Lestrade sleeping next to him. He quickly leapt up just in time as Lestrade sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Where are we?" she asked as she looked around. "It appears that we are in the past, 2010 to be exact." He answered. Lestrade quickly saw the newspaper on the study table. It was dated December 23, 2010. She then spotted a pile of clothes next to them. There was a pair of jeans with a plain white shirt. On top of the pile was a soft white towel. Holmes had found another pile of clothes that consisted of an Inverness, a shirt and a pair of pants. One by one they went into the bathroom. They emerged smelling fresh. Then they went out of the room.

They met a young woman outside their door. She introduced herself as Shirley Henderson and proceeded to lead them into the kitchen, where a man was waiting. When they entered, Holmes saw the man and gave a cry of surprise. Then, he fainted in the middle of the floor.

"This is a pretty kettle of fish!" Shirley remarked sarcastically. She carried Holmes and placed him onto the couch before getting some brandy for his lips. Lestrade was left with the man in the kitchen. "Who are you?" she asked. The man looked worried. "I think you should get that smelling salt near your face first." He said. _I don't think I will need it,_ she mused as she fetched the item. "Now then, my name is Dr. John H. Watson." He replied to her question.

She really needed the smelling salts after all.

Shirley found the brandy and poured it into Holmes's throat. A moment later, Holmes was stirring. "Dr. Watson, Mr. Holmes is awake." Watson and Lestrade walked into the room and sat in front of him.

Holmes opened his eyes and saw Watson in front of him. "Watson, is it really you?" He asked Watson. "Yes, it is." Watson answered. Holmes stretched out his hand and touched the long sleeve, feeling the arm in it. "Oh Watson, thank goodness." He hugged the surprised doctor. "I think we are in need of an explanation." Shirley said.

"So you're saying that some robot is cavorting about dressed and talking like me?" Watson asked Lestrade. Lestrade nodded, and Watson was quite relieved much to their surprise. "Why aren't you upset or something like that?" Shirley asked. "Well I feel safe as Holmes won't be poisoning himself." Watson replied. "Watson, cocaine and tobacco are not allowed in the future!" Holmes exclaimed. "By the way, I think that you should explain why you are alive in this time." Lestrade said.

"Okay, I am not a good storyteller, but I think you need the truth, so here it is." And, she began to speak.


	3. The End and Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Sherlock Holmes and Co. They belong to DIC.

* * *

"A year ago, to be more exact, November 23 2009, I was handed an assignment by the commissionaire, my boss. He ordered me to go to Bavaria and see what Professor Smith is doing. I spied on him and found that he was going to resurrect a body. I was horrified at this news and chose not to follow him any further and reported to the commissionaire. He ordered me to stop him at all costs. I broke into Smith's lab and found him gloating over his success. I bound him and waited for reinforcements to arrive.

It was a long while and I wondered around the laboratory. I saw the laboratory table and found Dr. Watson sitting up, looking very dazed. I don't know about you, but in this world, Watson had a son with his wife Mary, and he married Irene Adler's daughter Jean Norton. I am a descendant of that marriage and so inherited this locket which formerly belongs to David and Jean Watson. I had no difficulty identifying him through the locket, so I informed my chief and he persuaded the government to let him live on account on my good work towards the nation. So, here we are." Shirley finished her narrative.

Lestrade gave a sudden cry. Holmes looked at her in surprise. "Why did you do that, Lestrade?" He asked.

"Now we know that your Watson is safe. But what about the Watson back there. What about Wiggins and Deidre and Tennyson?" Lestrade replied.

"My friend Moriarty has the correct machine for that."

"Moriarty? You mean he's here too! He's the one who sent us into the past!"

"No, Ann-Marie Moriarty, his great-great grand daughter in this dimension. She works for the government along with my brother Mace. She works in the technology department while brother Mace works in the Cabinet and meets the Prime Minister all day. They are due to marry in the summer. Come, I'll show you."

Shirley led them into her car and drove to Westminster. They had to undergo a stringent line of tests before they were allowed to step in. Mace, Shirley's brother was waiting. "Come, Shirley, I will escort you to Ann. She's waiting in the laboratory."

Holmes looked over him and asked why he wants to look at cars. Mace looked astonished until he saw the gloss mark on his right thumb finger. "I can see why he is your brother. He is much like brother Mycroft." Holmes noted. He silently wished for Mycroft. It had been many years since he last saw his brother before he died in his former life.

Ann-Marie Moriarty looked nothing like her ancestor at all. She had green eyes that peered through her thick glasses. Her neat auburn hair was tied in a single ponytail and she wore a white coat over a suit. She was more like a man than a woman. The only similarity between the professor and the scientist was their intellect.

"Hi, Shirley; you and your friends can step in here." She replied meekly. She pointed to a sitting room, well furnished and tidy. She took them to a viewing room, where they saw a huge machine surrounded by scientist.

"Dimension 429 is yours, I think. It's the only dimension which had been open. Please tell me the exact date of your disappearance and the time and location." She said.

"Christmas Day, New London, London Underground, Sewer 19. It was fifteen to nine." Lestrade answered. She typed the information into a massive computer and the machine churned. Finally, it came up with the location and the place in which they came from was visible from the screen. Two figures were seen chasing another. It was them before they disappeared. They watched the flash of bright light and bade goodbye to Ann-Marie, Mace, Shirley and Dr. Watson. Holmes hugged him, much to Watson's amazement.

"I shall never see you again. How could I not do that?" He answered to Shirley's questioning glance. Then, Dr. Watson did something none of them expected. He proposed to Shirley.

"Will you marry me, Miss Shirley Henderson? I know that you are my descendant, but I have grown to love you. I've waited for you for eighty years. I can't wait for you anymore." He breathlessly replied. Shirley looked hesitant for a while before smiling.

"Yes, I do, Dr. John H. Watson; yes, I do." She replied, before hugging him.

"Quick, before the Professor gets away!" Ann-Marie quickened them. Holmes and Lestrade held hands before stepping into the machine.

* * *

"Ha, I've got away at last!" Moriarty exclaimed. "No, I'm afraid not, Moriarty." A male voice came from behind. "What the…"the former started, but was soon aware of an ionizer pointed at him. "Not so fast, Moriarty." A crisp, female voice said. He found himself face to face with Inspector Lestrade and Sherlock Holmes. Then, it happened in a flash. Lestrade took out a pair of handcuffs and they arrested him.

"How did you return? That machine was supposed to get rid of you! I've tried it on ten people already!" He exclaimed. "So you're the one who's responsible for the missing people; as for your former question, thanks to some of Watson's descendants and your great-great grand daughter for that." Lestrade replied. They led him to New Scotland Yard police station.

* * *

**Epilogue**

During the trial, Fenwick and Moriarty were accused of fifty two charges of murder, arson, vandalism and others. They were both executed for their crimes and as an extra precaution, Holmes made sure that none of Moriarty's remains were enough for cloning. Then, Lestrade checked the police data base. She came out with some surprising data.

"Holmes, look at this! Shirley Alexandra Watson nee Henderson; Sister of Mace Mycroft Henderson and wife of Dr. John H. Watson. It seems that they have no children and their belongings were donated to the British Museum by Ann-Marie and Mace. I wish they had survived in this century though." Lestrade pointed to him the information.

Holmes thought for a while, and then he smiled. He held out a golden locket. In it, there were Watson and Shirley smiling at them. "John and Shirley Watson, 2011; it's their wedding photograph. I picked this from the British Museum after I did them a favor in finding their lost artifact. And yes, Lestrade, I do wish that they were here as well."

_Dear Watson, I knew you had married and I am proud of you for choosing such a good woman as well. Thank you, Shirley, for treating him as a normal person and not as a historical figure. You have both made me realized that there is love, after all. _Holmes stared at the ring on the fourth finger of his right hand. He had been married to Lestrade for two years.

* * *

Somewhere out there, Watson smiled in delight and patted his wife on the back. Holmes had finally learnt to love.


End file.
